The Third District was quiet but alive, the hum of lanterns mingling with the steady drip of mist from rooftops. The golden fountain shimmered in the corner, its mosaic surface gleaming faintly in the lamplight.
Helios and Kurai stepped out from the First District's gate, their silhouettes dissolving through the fog. Kurai's eyes flicked toward the sealed door on the far wall, faint light seeping from its cracks. "Still as ugly as ever," she murmured.
"I always thought you didn't care about aesthetics," Helios replied, stepping closer. His gloved hand brushed across the sigil-etched surface. The door slid open with a gentle hiss.
They stepped through.
Merlin's beard fluttered from the lingering wind. "Well!" he said, blinking once as if recalibrating his sense of reality. "That was rather spectacular. Nothing like a good demonstration to shake the cobwebs off the wards."
Skuld was still catching her breath, cheeks flushed from exhilaration. "I didn't think it would work like that... it felt like she was alive."
"Of course she is, dear," said the Fairy Godmother gently. "Faith and memory are quite persuasive when given form."
Circe leaned on her staff, smirking. "Remind me not to get on your bad side."
"Wise decision," murmured Helga, still staring at the faint afterglow. "I don't think I've seen that much power contained in one spell."
Merlin dusted his hands. "All the more reason to rest before you collapse my roof. I can already hear the furniture complaining."
He tapped his wand against the floor, and the faint runes beneath them reactivated.
"Now then—since there are far too many of you to fit comfortably here, we'll relocate. A bit of domestic spatial manipulation should do the trick."
Before anyone could respond, he traced a symbol in the air and muttered, "Per transvectum, habitatum!"
Light flared—and with a soft poof, the world folded.
They reappeared in a rush of cool air.
The walls around them were old, the furniture skeletal with dust, and the faint smell of rain drifted through a cracked window.
"Ah, the Vacant House," Merlin announced cheerfully. "Useful for precisely this sort of thing."
Skuld sneezed immediately. "I think we should clean first. We should be able to finish it in an hour or so."
"Where's the fun in that?" Merlin replied with a grin.
He flicked his wand, and the entire room came alive.
Brooms jumped to their feet and swept in synchronized rhythm. Tables unfolded, chairs marched into place, and crates shrank to the size of apples before floating neatly into a bag. Curtains straightened themselves, and the fireplace burst into roaring flame with a sound like laughter.
Within moments, the abandoned house glowed warm and welcoming—old wood polished, walls newly bright, the faint scent of herbs and tea rising in the air.
Helga blinked. "That was… disturbingly efficient."
The Fairy Godmother clasped her hands, beaming. "He's had centuries of practice, dear. When you've cleaned as many castles as we have, you pick up a thing or two as well."
Circe muttered, "This is why mages live alone."
"Only because most visitors forget to take their shoes off," Merlin replied dryly.
Before the laughter could fade, a knock echoed through the room—three deliberate, steady taps.
Aqua turned toward it, her instincts alert. She opened the door cautiously.
Standing on the threshold, framed by Traverse Town's mist, was Helios, his jacket catching the lamplight. Behind him, Kurai stood with her arms crossed, eyes cold.
"Evening," Helios said simply.
Merlin's eyes twinkled as he looked at Helios, then turned to look at Kurai. "Ah! The young student returns. Still getting into trouble, I see. Good!"
Helios smirked faintly. "I don't remember getting into any trouble."
Kurai's tone was sharp enough to cut glass. "He means me."
The Fairy Godmother drifted closer, smiling kindly. "Hello, deary. My, are you okay? You look steeped in darkness that can't be good for you."
"She's always like that, ignore her," Helios said with a nod. "And I bring a small token of thanks."
He reached into his jacket and pulled out two compact cases. They unfolded smoothly, releasing a soft glow—one icy blue, the other silver-white shot through with arcs of lightning.
Helios tossed them lightly—one to Aqua, one to Skuld.
Aqua caught hers gracefully; Skuld fumbled, then laughed when it hummed to life around her wrist.
"They're called… actually, I forgot, be sure to ask the Moogles what they're called," Helios explained. "These bracelets are tuned to amplify your magic. The blue one enhances ice and water. The silver one for wind and lightning. They respond to the wielder's magical energy."
Aqua turned hers in the light. The translucent crystal surface rippled softly, reflecting the fire's glow. "You made these?"
"With help from the Moogles," he said. "Consider them gratitude—for saving my life."
Skuld's eyes lit up. "You didn't have to."
"I did," Helios said simply. "Debts left unpaid tend to become habits."
Kurai scoffed quietly. "Sentimentality."
Helios grinned. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to get you one too later."
She arched an eyebrow. "You're still terrible at gratitude."
"Practice makes perfect."
Merlin clapped once. "Well then, let's see these beauties in action, shall we?"
He simply gestured, and they all poofed out of the house to the center of the Third District, and Aqua and Skuld were now standing together in the open space. "Don't be shy, I want to see how well the enchantments hold."
Aqua's glowed first—cool blue light flowing like rippling water, calm and steady. Skuld's followed with a bright, electric shimmer that flickered and danced.
Then, slowly, their magic intertwined. Wind wove around water; frost and lightning met in a perfect spiral of shifting color that illuminated every corner of the room.
The Fairy Godmother whispered, "Their unique magical energies are resonating with the enchantments."
"Indeed," Merlin murmured, eyes gleaming. "Two frequencies merging into a singular chord."
Helios crossed his arms, watching closely.
Kurai glanced at him.
Skuld blinked as the glow faded. "That… felt amazing. It felt easier to use my magic."
Aqua nodded, smiling faintly. "Like my magic blended with the magic in the bracelet and then came out almost twice as strong."
Merlin turned toward Helios. "You've created something remarkable, lad."
Helios chuckled softly. "I didn't do anything, the Moogles did."